Improvement in corsets



H. Si FLOOD.

Corsets.

' tented Sep. 10, 1872.

Inveniqr W 5 Zh@ /71W @M4/f@ Wit Qses M #fwd `UNITED y STATES PATENT GITIOE.

HENRY S. FLOOD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l3l',262, dated September 10, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. FLOOD, of San Francisco, San Francisco county, State of California, have invented an Improved Corset 5 and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawing are sufiicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to` which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention and improvemeut without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide a corset for female wear which can be partially opened and turned down in front without the necessity of unfastening the entire corset. This I accomplish by the employment of a hinge or other joint at the desired point on the front steels, so that, by unlocking or otherwise unfastenin g the upper portion, it can be turned down and thus expose the breast.

In order to more fully illustrate and explain my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents the corset closed. Fig. 2 represents the corset with flaps turned down.

A represents a corset, which is made in the Vsame manner as those usually worn by females.

The front steels b b of this corset I provide with a hinge at c, and cover the entire steels with the cloth in the usual Way or,if preferable, I connect an upper hinged section, el, with the ordinary steel at the desired point, so that it shall lie upon the upper portion of the ordinary steel. This hinged section is provided with a hole or holes, so that it can be locked or fastened down upon buttons or studs on the under portion, in the manner represented. In this case I employ a steel with a double upper end upon one side only, and an ordinary hinged steel upon the other side, thus giving two thicknesses of steel upon one side, anda single thickness on the other side, when they are fastened together at the upper ends, or steels with a double upper end can be used upon both sides, as desired.

' By this arrangement the wearer can by un fastening the upper hinged sections turn them down, so as to expose the breast without interfering with the lower portion of the corset.

'For women who are nursing children, this corset will be found to be extremely con venient, and by its use the throat and breast can be exposed when the person is heated, so as to prevent the oppressive or cramping sensation which is occasioned by an ordinary corset.

I do not confine myself to the particular hinge or joint herein shown; neither do I confine myself to any particular arrangement of the folding parts, as thesecan be varied in many ways Withoutdeviating from the general design of my invention, and with equal ady vantage and economy, neither do I confine myself to any particular point in the length of the corset-steels for hin ging the upper portion. I do nothoweverelaim, broadly, jointed clasp-plates for corsets, as the patent to Samuel M. Perry, July 31,1866, shows a corset having one or more jointed clasp-plates, but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p A corset having the secondary hinged sections ol d, in combination with the ordinary clasp b b, substantiallyV as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand 

